Plain TWP. – A teacher at Avondale Elementary School wanted to experiment with making balloons to cheer up her students. Now she has her own business.
Abby Messner of Plain Township is the owner of Inspired Balloon Designs, a custom balloon decorating company in Canton. She balances her passion for balloon design with a full-time job teaching her juniors and her seniors at Plain, her local school district.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced classrooms to move online in the spring of 2020 and people stayed indoors for most of the year, Messner said she wanted to keep her students engaged when they returned to in-person learning. I started thinking of ways to make him smile. Her search turned to YouTube.
As she explained, after falling down the balloon’s “rabbit hole,” she ran to a local store to purchase supplies. I realized that I am accustomed to nature.
“I was like, ‘Oh, that was easy. I can do this,'” Messner said. started.”
Back at school, Messner began making balloon animals and other designs for his students’ birthdays. She allowed her students to ask for anything they wanted and worked tirelessly to make it happen.
It was an instant success.
“They look forward to their birthdays,” Messner said. “It’s so funny. Sometimes kids in the hallway say, ‘I want to join your class next year and get balloons for my birthday.’ It makes me feel good.”
Teachers love balloons too
Messner did not reserve his work only for his students. She has also created her displays of balloons for some of her colleagues.
Lori Eckelberry, an Avondale teacher and founder of a grant-providing nonprofit called Katy’s Kids, solicited Messner’s talent for a recent fundraising golf event at Suffield’s Paradise Lakes Country Club. rice field. For the past two years, Messner has given his work away to nonprofits for free.
“It’s really nice to have,” said Eckelberry. “What I love is that it gives our outings a special touch. I think our audience is pretty special in its own right, but there’s another thing that people do to get together and have fun.” It just adds a touch.”
Eckelberry said Messner’s work was very popular on excursions and did a lot to raise awareness of Katie’s children’s mission. He said that he often sees
turn passion into profit
As her balloon work became widely known, Messner began to see her newfound passion as a money-making possibility.
She launched Inspired Balloon Designs in Fall 2020 and found most of her first clients through friends.
One of those friends is Christine Selby of North Canton, who has ordered balloon gifts from Messner many times. Mr. Selby bought his niece balloon decorations for holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween.
Selby, who grew up with Messner, said she wasn’t at all surprised that Messner turned her talent into a viable business.
“She definitely has an entrepreneurial spirit. She has the entrepreneurial bug,” Selby said. “She is very good at her job. I’ve seen the other side.”
Selby added that Messner is always trying to come up with new ideas and different ways to create balloon designs.
In mid-July, Messner traveled to Orlando, Florida for a week to work with 300 balloon creators on “Balloon Wonderland.” Wonderland had 500,000 of his balloons configured to resemble various creations.
teaching is a top priority
She said that school age reduces Messner’s ability to focus on decorating the balloon. This fall, she plans to work full-time and juggle other responsibilities, including raising her three children with her husband, so she plans to book one weekend a month. I plan to start a small business.
Messner could run the business full time if she wanted. She said she knows other balloon artists from her business that she’s making more than six figures. Her business is relatively small, but I could see the potential.
But she doesn’t want to. She started creating balloon art as her side business.
“My co-workers ask me that all the time at school. They’re like, ‘Are you going to quit your job and do ballooning full-time?’ No, I love my job. I love my children.'”
Email Ryan at rmaxin@gannett.com or on Twitter @ryanmaxin Or call 330-580-8412.
Comments
Post a Comment